


Hidden Leaves

by MathIsMagic



Series: DoS Crossover Fic [7]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender, Dreaming of Sunshine, Dreaming of Sunshine - Silver Queen, Embers - Fandom, Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe, Crossover, Embers by Vathara inspired, Gen, I steal her avatar spirit building, Politics, Reincarnation, Silver Queen's Dreaming of Sunshine Universe, and several of her characters like Amaya and Shirong, but also have the DoS cast reborn in there too
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-08
Updated: 2018-10-08
Packaged: 2019-07-28 01:03:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 16,265
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16230971
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MathIsMagic/pseuds/MathIsMagic
Summary: Princess Caiyun is weak. Long Feng knows that. Azula knows that. Everyone knows that.Everyone knows wrong.~Shikako Nara and her comrades are reborn into the Avatar universe (with some annotated Embers-inspired deviations from Canon). None of them are benders. They must find their place, find each other, and rework this world for the better. Princess Caiyun, younger sister to King Kuei, works to subvert Long Feng and becomes the center of the efforts to find and reunite all these Hidden Leaves.





	1. Caiyun, Dai Li Perspective

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Embers](https://archiveofourown.org/works/3591783) by [Inkgirl](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Inkgirl/pseuds/Inkgirl), [Vathara](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vathara/pseuds/Vathara). 
  * Inspired by [Dreaming of Sunshine](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/53648) by Silver Queen. 



> So, these were my contributions to a group world building effort on the DoS Forums. Essentially, the idea is that not just Shikako, but EVERYONE got reborn into the AtLA World (with many elements taken from Embers, by Vathara, so this is considered a follow up to that too). However, none of them are benders, so they must use their other skills - stealth, cleverness, information gathering, networking - and politics to do what they need to do. Here's a quick rundown of who everyone is, as collectively determined:
> 
> -Shikako: Princess Caiyun, King Kuei's "Sickly" little sister.  
> -Shikamaru: Prince Kazuo, younger brother to Zuko and Azula. Azula runs him out of the Fire Nation after Zuko is exiled. He is presumed dead. His refugee name in Ba Sing Se is Yun.  
> -Sasuke: Xiang, Toph's older brother who is slowly tracking his sister and the Gaang down to help them.  
> -Ino: Nunik, sibling to Katara and Sokka  
> Hinata: Lady Jing-Hua, an earth Kindom noble lady that becomes Princess Caiyun's Companion.  
> -Sakura: Lan, one of the "Princess' Guides" (Caiyun's rescued Joo Dee's) and part of Caiyun's spy network  
> -Chouji: Rong-Wei, Hinata's cousin, a member of Caiyun's personal guard  
> -Kankuro: Guozi, a lower Ba Sing Se noble who studies at Ba Sing Se university in play making and puppeteering  
> -Gaara - Jiamjun  
> -Temari - Meifeng
> 
> -Characters from Embers:
> 
> -Agent Shirong - Dai Li agent and recruiter  
> -Healer Amaya - Norhtern Water Tribeswoman and healer in the lower ring of Ba Sing Se, though she does also work for the palace sometimes.
> 
>  
> 
> -OCs: Lim, Agent Yu, Agent Shen (All current or former members of Caiyun's orphanage, members of her spy organization)
> 
> There shouldn't be any specific need to read EMbers first; the scenes were all written with notes about which Embers things were taken/changed from canon.

**Original AN: This ficlet also takes elements from the fanfics Embers by Vathara. Namely, the idea that spirits are a little more active in the Avatar world and the Dai Li’s job is to protect the populace from the spirits, though fighting spirits leaves a little bit of ‘spookiness’ in their auras, contributing to their scariness. Also, Agents Bon and Shirong and their backstory. It should be understandable without having read Embers, though if you haven’t read it, I highly recommend you do, just in general.**

XxXxX

Princess Caiyun is weak. Everyone in the palace knows that, visible as the evidence is.

Dai Li agent Bon – thankfully, lest he be scarred and spirit cursed like poor Agent Shirong – was not a yet member of the Dai Li nearly eighteen years ago when the previous King was assassinated, and the queen fell moments later to the malicious spirits that set upon their city for that injustice.

He’s heard stories, though, of that dark night when so many Dai Li lost their lives standing between their beloved city and the evil of the world, with victory only snatched from the jaws of despair by luck and the cunning maneuvers of their soon-to-be-leader Long Feng.  Of the fight to push back and chain some of the darkest spirits known to man. Of how they only just managed to save the new child-king and his position as spiritual connection of the Earth Kingdom. Of how their infant princess – the _only other remaining member of the royal family,_ who could help King Kuei maintain the spiritual balance of their land – almost joined her parents; the mere presence of malicious spirits nearly suffocating her in her crib.

Luck and skill saved the poor child, though the experience left her with a more delicate constitution than most. Though she excels at her studies in the feminine graces as she grows, Princess Caiyun’s strength does not grow with age. She cannot abide the heavy cloths and large ornamentations that are traditional for her station, so her servants bedeck her in relatively simple, elegant styles that sweep through court. She is prone to fainting in stressful or strenuous situations, so she given command of the women formerly in the Joo Dee program to lighten her load. And of course, there is the infamous foot-binding incident, confirming the Princess’ low tolerance for pain.

Princess Caiyun is weak, and the Dai Li usually need and respect strength. Somehow, though, she holds the proper respect and reverence due her from the Long Feng’s men. If anything, most Dai Li agents have something of a soft spot for their delicate young princess – though there’s little to indulge her in other than their own opinions and protection. No other noble would bother with even the small nods of recognition Princess Caiyun does, when possible. No other person can interact with them without flinching, at least a little, at their uniforms or their spiritually tainted auras. It’s not much, but for the gratitude-starved Dai Li, it means so much. Of course, most people love her anyways, sweet, gentle soul that she is. Many Agents vow extra measures of defense to preserve their weak little light.

Given this extra protectiveness, Princess Caiyun’s request for a permanent post for a lowly guard initially raises many concerned eyebrows within the Dai Li. Their delicate charge is even more sheltered than her royal brother. How easy would it be for the wrong guard to play on her sympathies and take advantage? But then her reasoning disseminates through the rumor mill and everyone breathes a little easier; every agent who’s been near him can attest to the guard in question’s spiritual presence. If his presence helps quell the small malice spirits that have long target her highness, who are they to protest?

When she appears to make her first friend in the spiritually sensitive Lady Jin-Hua Ma, the same excuses apply. The Lady is well bread enough to make court with the Princess, spiritually powerful enough to explain their quick connection, and unsubtle enough that any attempts at scheming on her part could easily be countered by the Dai Li. Long Feng isn’t especially thrilled, but he hardly ever is when things deviate even slightly from his own plans, so the Dai Li don’t worry too much about it. It’s nice to see their dear Princess smile so genuinely for once.

Agent Bon is not alone among Dai Li who understand the new watch Long Feng puts on the little refugee boy that has wormed his way into Princess Caiyun’s tender heart, thought not his rage of the situation.  Sure, it’s not truly proper, but so much about how their King and his sister have been raised is untraditional. The young, spiritually sensitive boy brings out her maternal instincts. What’s wrong with that? The boy is not a bender, he’s constantly checked for weapons, and is never left unattended with their liege. There’s no way he could harm Princess Caiyun – Agent Bon knows no Dai Li agent would ever _allow_ her to be harmed. He’s made no move to speak of inappropriate things with the princess either. Long Feng’s threats and the new watch on the boy and his family have ensured that.

By the time the Avatar and his unusual companions arrive in Ba Sing Se – much to her highness’ strange delight – Princess Caiyun is still demure and weak _,_ though less lonely than before _._ Bon watches in the days that follow as his life crashes down around him – first at the revelation of his dear leader’s deception, then as many of his fellows fall under the Fire Princess’ spell and commit their own betrayals.

During the coup, when the Kyoshi warrior-disguised Fire Nation girl starts tossing daggers at the Princess, Agent Bon is abandons his fight against the treasonous agent Fong to help, even though he knows he will be far too late. But then. But then delicate little Princess Caiyun pulls the first blade from her shoulder with barely a pause and blocks the next two.

“Get Kuei out of here!” She cries, as her guard friend steps in to join her – brave man that he is, a mere soldier up against Dai Li and Imperial Fire agents. Together, the two make quite a showing as they dodge and block innumerable attacks, even managing to pull off some of their own, when the guard bring shis spear to bear and Caiyun makes clever use of sharp hair decorations as throwing darts. One Dai Li gets a lucky shot of, grabbing the tail end of Caiyun’s now-loose braid. The Princess stumbles as her hair pulls her painfully to an agent ready for a hostage that never comes. Without missing any more than that first step, Caiyun reaches back to slice off the end of her beautiful braid and brings her blade back around ward off an encroaching weapons’ mistress in one smooth motion.

Agent Bon notices all this through his own fights. He is hard pressed; unsure of who to trust and how to respond to his Princess’s transformation. He manages to see, as he ducks away from where the Lady Jin-Hua is somehow going toe-to-toe with the chi-blocking acrobat, the Fire Princess’ attempt to throw lightning at his King. Kuei is saved only because Caiyun throws away her one real weapon to knock the girl’s fingers astray. Still, he hesitates to save his King first, because the Fire Princess has locked a murderous gaze on the girl who thwarted her. Bon is closer to the king, but Caiyun is more in the thick of things. He doesn’t know who to save first. He hesitates.

“Get Kuei out _NOW!”_ Caiyun cries, and Agent Bon’s dilemma is solved for him.

“So the porcelain doll isn’t quite so useless after all,” Sozin’s heir sneers.

_“Beauty perseveres_

_and finds victory despite_

_her adversity.*”_ Princess Caiyun taunts right back, in the same elegant haiku Bon has heard her practice for years.

 

She has the Fire Princess’s full attention, now, making it easy for Bon to reach his highness inhibited. With great effort, Bon throws an arm around his struggling King and flips the floor beneath them. Hopefully, the other still-loyal Dai Li will grab princess Caiyun and follow, because Bon has made his choice and he _can not_ leave his King, the spiritual center holding the Earth Kingdom together, throne or no, alone for the traitors to pick off.

 

Bon pulls said distraught king down through several more layers of floor, finally hitting the tunnels below Ba Sing Se where Bon prays Agent Shirong and his mysterious allies will be waiting to help them.

 

“Let go of me! Go back! Caiyun! You have to go get Caiyun!”

“I’m sorry, Your Majesty. I _can’t,_ ” Agent Bon gasps out to a grieving young man. The pain and apology in his words are real.

XxXxX

*A reference to Ino’s flower message during the Kunoichis sleepover (“Natural Beauty is the warrior who perseveres and finds victory despite adversity.”), shortened to fit into a Haiku, which fanon has is the elegant way for an Earth Kingdom lady to communicate. Shikako always throws so much shade.


	2. After the Fall, Kuei POV

**Original AN: This is still based more on the Embers side of things. The only thing you need to know is that, instead of escaping with the Gaang and traveling the Earth Kingdom with Bosco, Kuei gets taken by Agent Bon to meet up with a bunch of refuges running from Azula and hiding in the caverns under the city. Some are Earth Kingdom citizens that had the secretive connections needed to get out, but many are Fire Nation refuges connected to Amaya (the healer that introduced Shikako and Shikamaru) or the Hidden Sand/Leaf people from Gaara’s network.**

Kuei is safe from the chaos that is his throne room, but Caiyun is not. He struggles, at first, tries to convince the Dai Li agent that brought him here to go back for her, but to no avail. Eventually, he has to accept it, and trust that the man leading him deeper and deeper into this maze of caverns knows what he’s doing.

Kuei’s afraid for her… of her. He’s not sure which. Both, maybe. Because having no idea about the war is one thing. Embarrassing, but redeemable. Having no idea about his beloved little sister, though… somehow that feels unforgiveable. He would like very much not to think about the skills his sister suddenly demonstrated today, but he would like even less to think that Caiyun is not okay, and she can’t be okay unless she has those skills and more…

Kuei solves his internal dilemma by trying not to think about his sister at all. Agent Bon meets up with another agent – Shirong – and they’re hustled to a massive, underground, cavern filled with supplies... and people. So, so many people, fled from Azula’s wrath. There, Kuei finds himself encircled by Dai Li agents – far more are still loyal than it seemed in that chaotic throne room – and expected to lead with even less information that usual. This is what he was trained for, though, despite Long Feng’s best efforts, and perhaps because of Caiyun’s many gifted scrolls, so he settles in to get to it.

They’ve finished surveying the communal supplies stored down here and just started a thorough census to understand how many refugees have joined them in hiding when she finally arrives.

 Caiyun’s hair is loose and choppy, her gown singed and torn, and her gait unsteady as she leans on her guard – Lim*, Kuei remembers. Behind her is Lady Jin-Hua, Caiyun’s orphan friend Yun, Xiang Beifong, the youngest water tribe girl Nunik, and several more Dai Li agents.

She stands for a moment, all eyes upon her, before limping her way through the staring crowd with somehow-still-perfect poise. Like the crowd, Kuei’s frozen for a moment, matching gazes with Caiyun. Then Kuei blinks, vision blurring with tears, and moves to meet her. All of his fears – for and of Caiyun – are gone at the relief in her eyes. She cares, he knows she does, and all that matters now is his little sister is safe – and hurting.

Kuei sweeps his sister– carefully! – into an embrace. “You’re okay,” she gasps out. “I was so worried.”

“ _You_ were worried?” He asks incredulously, drawing back a little.  The young boy behind her grumbles something that sounds a lot like, “typical self-sacrificing idiot.” The moment they have to themselves is brief. All too soon, Agent Bon is at Kuei’s shoulder, murmuring, “Your majesties.”

Kuei turns to see the entire crowd prostrating itself before their monarch. No. Not quite the entire crowd. Most of it. There are large clumps of bowing people that, now that they’re not hidden in the crowd, are quite obviously Fire Nation. A third group, the smallest of the lot, is mixed-race. These people are making what is an obviously respectful gesture but one that Kuei has never seen; heads and one knee bent in deference.

From the first two groups come the murmurs, “My lord,” and “Earth King Kuei.” From the last, he hears whispers of, “ _Shikabane-hime,_ ” that make his sister blanche.

“Caiyun?” He whispers.

“Right. We should talk. Now.” She pulls him to the side and the Dai Li pull on earth and suddenly they're alone.

“I don’t know what’s going on,” he says.

“I know.”

“I don’t know who to trust.”

“I know.”

“I’m not sure who you are anymore.”

“I _know._  I know. I just… can I tell you a story?”

“Anything you need. Just… make everything make sense again. _Please._ ”

“I can’t promise that. I barely understand it all myself. I just… I want you to understand me, at least. To stop being afraid of me.”

“I’m not-”

“You are. And that’s okay. I understand. I just… I don’t know what you’ll think of me after I tell you everything. Please know that I’m your sister, no matter what?”

“Surely it’s not-”

“No matter what, Kuei!” She says, taking his hand and squeezing it until he looks up and finds the honesty in her eyes.

“Okay.”

She takes a deep breath, and begins to talk. About past lives and reincarnations. About ninjas and jutsu and a world so torn by war that twelve is considered to be a generously late age to be put on the battlefield. About secret networks and plots and manipulations to protect their people that had to be hidden from even her most loved ones.

She has images. Apparently, one of the friends was found from her last life was an artist.  He drew up wanted posters of their old identities, with descriptions taken from memories of ‘bingo books,’ to help other reincarnates find each other.

Kuei looks down at a sketch of “Shikako Nara,” the “Corpse Princess,” known for her explosions, lightning, and cunning. He doesn’t see Caiyun in them at all.

But. The reincarnated artist drew many of his own memories too. There! That’s Caiyun’s smile as she looks at her brother. The pretty picture of four girls dressed up in kimono, putting flowers in each others hair looks so much like Caiyun and Lady Jing-Hua when they invite him to afternoon tea it almost hurts. Caiyun ruffles her youngest Joo Dee recruits’ hair just like that girl is doing to a small, pupil-less girl here.

“You _are_ my sister,” Kuei says finally. “And I’m your brother. I hope you don’t ever have to hide anything from me again.”

Caiyun’s eyes are shining, but too many years of training allow her to blink back tears that might smudge her makeup. “Thank you. I love you.”

“I love you too.” He reaches over to grasp her other hand, and she flinches. “Wha-”

he pulls back the long sleeve of her gown, to find her left hand mangled, the arm connected to it swollen to twice it’s normal size. “You’ve been that injured all this time? Bon!” He calls, and his most loyal agent appears in an instant. “Get Amaya here, now! Caiyun’s hurt very badly.”

“Your Majesties,” the agent makes time for a quick bow, and he’s gone, obviously seeing Caiyun’s ruined arm.

“It's not so bad…” She tries to protest, but his face shuts her down. “I just wanted to make sure we were okay, first. There’s been a lot going on today.”

“No kidding.”

Later that night, Kuei tosses and turns in his bed, head swimming with the revelations of today and the decisions that will have to be made tomorrow. Eventually, he gets up, and goes to find his sister, like they did a few times when they were children.

She’s not in her bed. He only has a brief moment of panic before logic kicks in – there are loyal Dai Li are on guard, someone would have raised the alarm if Caiyun was taken somewhere willingly. The agent on duty points him towards the makeshift headquarters for this underground rebellion/refuge, and Kuei finally notices the movement of the odd shadows cast from the glowing crystals in the cavern.

Kuei finds Caiyun hunched over a vast arrangement of maps, notes and pai sho boards. Her hair is pulled out of her face with a simply ribbon and her hands (both mostly working properly again, thanks to Amaya’s careful bending) and arms are smeared with ink in a most undignified fashion, but somehow, Kuei finds the look suits her, even more than that of an elegant lady. Little Yun ( _Shikamaru,_ his mind whispers, a bit jealously. _Her other brother. Her_ first _brother)_ is sprawled in an exhausted heap across from her.

When he approaches she doesn’t glance up from where she’s muttering over reports and remarking the massive map of Ba Sing Se.

“The last Earth Army reports put the main battalion there… but Gaara’s network says there’s a strike team coming to back them up here… that’ll put the bulk of the occupation forces two days out. My girls can probably clear here out in that time… oh, can’t forget the orphanages. Gotta at least get the older kids that might be recruited. They shouldn’t hurt the younger ones… not if they don't want a regional revolt…”

“You’re still up.” He states, taking a seat next to her. She glances up, finally, and the circles around her eyes confirm his suspicion that she has not rested since the coup began.

“Hm? Yes.” She says absently, making a swirling mark on the map and crossing something off from one of the papers she was reading.

“You should go to bed,” he chastises, somewhat hypocritically. Even with all that Kuei’s learned today, he can’t help but see his sweet baby sister, exhausted and hurt.

“I know. I just… Azula needs to pay. She’s hurt – and tried to hurt – too many of my loved ones. She’s terrorizing our people. She tried to kill Shika. She tried to kill _you._ I’m not letting her get away with that!” Caiyun sighs, vehemence suddenly gone. “Just… not at the expense of our people. That’s the hard part.

“I’m torn about what to do. Our kingdom needs to see that we’re still fighting. The world needs us to disrupt the Fire Nation as much as possible, so that they can’t easily add Ba Sing Se’s resources to their war effort. At the same time, though, resistance will only make things harder for the citizens of Ba Sing Se; it’s not like they can flee Fire Nation retribution. It might get a lot of people killed. Our people.”

“I’m not really a fan of either of those options.”

“Me neither. There is one way to show resistance, and help our people escape, though, no one’s going to like it. I just don’t know how else to get our people and resources out of their hands…”

“What are you thinking?” He asks, when she doesn’t elaborate.

“Just remember, earth can always be built back up, people are irreplaceable.”

“Caiyun…”

“I’ve been mulling it over all night, but I’m haven’t come up with anyone else. Believe me, I’ve tried. But. I’ve figured out the seals that would let us do it remotely, so it at least wouldn’t be much a danger to us and there shouldn’t be too much collateral damage-”

“Stop stalling and tell me.”

She looks up from where her eyes had drifted back to the maps and one scroll as large as Kuei’s torso. She stares Kuei directly in the eye. Her next words drop the world out from under him.

“I want to bring down the walls of Ba Sing Se.”


	3. After the Fall, Sakura POV

Lan slips quietly through the streets of a pre-dawn Ba Sing Se, relying on long-ago memories of kunoichi stealth to help her reach her destination unmolested. Lan’s hair is unbound, her clothes simple things scavenged from a conveniently accessible laundry line. She feels for the poor family that will undoubtedly miss the robes when they wake, but she had no other choice. Her typical Princess’ Guide costume will not preserve her this night.

Azula’s coup has succeeded. The city doesn’t know it yet, but they are now under Fire Nation rule. Princess Caiyun is missing, last seen battling furiously to protect her brother from traitors and interlopers in the throne room. Sakura’s heart aches for one of her oldest, dearest friends, and prays for her safety. Lan knows her duty and continues slipping through shadows.

The Princess’ Guides are more than the demure tour guides Princess Caiyun has always presented them as. The Orphan Dai Li agents are more than faceless soldier following Long Feng. And of course, their Hidden Leaves are more than the innocent civilians they appear.

Unlike so many in the Earth Kingdom, who blindly follow their nobles, they do not flounder with their leader absent, with their world in turmoil. Instead, they are already in motion, ready to take advantage of this brief tactical window before Azula has the military might to back up her position.

A cloud passes in front of the moon, darkening the street, but Lan has already arrived at her destination. Two loud knocks, then three quick ones, so no one panics when she slips in the back door of the Sprouting Shoots Orphanage in the 7th district of the southern portion of the Outer Ring.

“Lan, what are you doing here? Why are you dressed like that?” Thirteen-year-old Guo asks as Sakura tiptoes in. The girl was curled up in the common room with a book (one of Princess Caiyun’s gifts, to help them with their education), no doubt having drawn the short straw for night duty today.

“Ba Sing Se has fallen,” Lan answers, wasting no time. “Get the older kids up. We need to be packed up and ready to move whenever we have the chance. Have them hide or destroy anything useful that can’t be easily carried.”

“Ba Sing Se has… what? This isn’t funny. You’re scaring me.” Sakura feels for this poor girl, who has already been through so much, and needs to deny the worst, (was Sakura this soft when she was thirteen the first time? Probably. She wasn’t even a field ninja at that point.) but there is no time to break these things gently.

“I’m not joking. Princess Azula snuck into the palace and turned the Dai Li against the Earth King. They’ll probably be letting in the Fire Nation Army by the end of the week.”

“The Dai Li turned traitor? Shen and the others would never turn on Princess Caiyun!”

“They didn’t. But there’s a lot more than just our orphans in the Dai Li. They’re doing what they can.”

“So they’re taking care of Princess Caiyun?”

Lan clenches her fist, but manages not to grimace as she says, “Princess Caiyun is taking care of Princess Caiyun right now.”

“What does that mean? Is Shen going to save her or-”

“Shen and the others from our orphanages are busy destroying any records that could help the Fire Nation track our people. _As Princess Caiyun would want_. It’ll be a lot easier to escape notice if the Fire Nation doesn’t know what they’re looking for.”

“We’re going to run and hide, leaving her in the Fire Nation’s clutches after all she’d done for us?” Guo cries in distress.

“Look. I don’t like it either. But. Princess Caiyun is my friend. And friends have to believe in each other. I believe she will make it through this. And she believes we’ll keep the kids she cares so much for safe.”

“Y-yes. I’ll… I’ll go get the others then.”

“Thank you. I’m going to start sorting out supplies down here.” Guo runs upstairs to start organizing those over ten years old as Lan sorts out the easiest foods to travel with. By dawn, the entire orphanage is packed up and organized. Now, they wait.

It’s several days before they finally have the answer as to what their next move is intended to be.

Lan watches as miles and miles of thousand-year-old wall – as far as the eye can see – sink neatly into the ground, opening the gates to freedom without collateral damage. The orphans have coordinated a meeting location and broken off into inconspicuous groups with their supplies before the ground has even stopped rumbling.

Sakura allows herself only one moment to shake her head before taking her group south. To think, Shikako never understood the _Flee on Sight_ order on her bingo book page.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Names:  
> Shen - Male Chinese name meaning ‘extremely spiritual’  
> Lan- Female Chinese name meaning Orchid flower. Not quite a Sakura, but pretty close.  
> Guo- Gender neutral Chinese name meaning “Fortification.”


	4. The Princess and the Playwright Extension/Gift

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is an extension of Quiet Redemption's Princess and the Playwright snippet, in which a younger Princess Caiyun ends up watching a play about her own exploits as Shikako, and of course realizes she's found her dear theatre nerd friend Kankuro. Quiet's computer crapped out and they lost the sequel, though, so I attempted to write something for them as a gift to make them feel better.

Guózhi is hustled from the Princess’ audience room by Dai Li agents directly after the performance. He doesn’t even get to find out if the young monarch liked it before his walk of shame through the palace back corridors. Guózhi is not taken down to a cell or torture, chamber, thankfully, but the menacing presences that usher him all the way to the main gates make the threat clear. _You’re on thin ice. Don’t so much as look at the line, much less put a toe over it._

He doesn’t sleep well that night, what with the small movements of the shadows outside his window, but he can’t quite bring himself to regret his actions. Everyone should have a chance to experience proper theater – and not just half-assed retellings of the Masters’ works. If Temari was here, she’d probably be rolling her eyes at his inner theatre nerd.

The next day, his professor blanches when Guózhi is forced to recount the Princess’ complaint from the day before. The Master Playwright’s eyes narrow as he stares down the class that has disgraced him, and especially the students who had _walked out on Her Royal Highness the Princess of the Earth Kingdom_ rather than perform something else. He’s not sure if it’s better or worse that his prodigious young student attempted to soldier on alone.

It’s worse. Much, much worse.

Certainly, the story itself is unique enough that the young Princess should not have a complaint, and really it has the potential to be quite interesting, if you’re able to look past the more absurd elements ( _women_ fighting? Pah.). Additionally, the shadow puppet format was quite inspired, given Guózhi’s manpower and time constraints, and the boy is competent enough to put on a decent show.

But. Invasions? War? Here? _Now?_

It’s all he can do to stay upright and get through the dressing-down of his students. If he and his students are still standing here, nearly eighteen hours after the fact, they’re probably fine. Right? That’s what he has to believe.

When he answers the door halfway through the class period to find a Dai Li agent there, his poor nerves finally give way, and he passes out.

“I thought Joo Dee normally delivers missives like this.” Guózhi mutters as the Dai Li agent escorts him to ‘an audience with the Princess, to discuss your theatrical endeavors.’

“She does. This invitation is coming straight from the Princess, however, so we thought it best to give it the… swift attention it deserves. Especially after yesterday.”

“…Right.”

Guózhi’s about ready to write the whole thing off, given the displeasure of his professor, the Dai Li, and apparently even the Princess herself. What greets him in her majesty’s audience chamber is not more scorn though. If anything, Princess Caiyun is a fan!

“I _so_ enjoyed you story yesterday!” She bubbles, edging the line of proper for her a Lady, but fairly acceptable, given her age. “I’m certain I’ve never heard anything like it. Will you do a sequel for me next week? Is that enough time? Oh! Maybe you could do a whole series, all set in the same world and following many of the same characters! Like the spirit-legends of old, but as an entirely new! Oh! We could even send the plays out, and have them performed all over. You’ll be famous! I’ll make sure you have all the funding and resources you need. Just please say yes!”

And how can Guózhi possibly so no? Guaranteed funding and promotion from the Earth Princess herself? Any playwright would _murder_ for such an offer. There’s no reasonable excuse to give, except, “The Dai Li glaring at me over your shoulder will probably kill me if I do” and it’s not like he can _say_ that.

Instead, he stalls. “May I ask why, Your Highness? I mean, what are your goals?”

“To help share these ideas! I know it’s somewhat different, but there must be other people out there that would find this story as interesting as I did! I’ve even been thinking up some ideas for a follow on!”

Guózhi tries not to grimace. Great. A sheltered noble trying to write plays _he’ll_ have to produce. Stab his inner theatre nerd through the heart next time, why don’t you? It’ll hurt less.

“What if you showed how the two villages’ friendship grew? Maybe, a spirit army starts invading the desert, so the warriors from the village go out to defend it. Then, the girl who showed them mercy, her smart older brother, and their fox-blessed friend could arrive to help, having been tracking the spirits as they passed by the forest! The spirits injure the girl, but her brother is able to pull her back from the spirit world, and the fox- and sandstorm- cursed boys combine their power to beat the spirits back.

“But the spirits are actually just cursed ghosts themselves! The boys’ power and the siblings’ love is strong enough that they’re able to remember their former humanity. This time, the sandstorm-boy gets to offer mercy, by performing the rights that would set them free rather than binding them again! The spirits’ ascendance even breathes life into that patch of desert, making the whole village more prosperous, and continuing the cycle of good will over that of hatred!”

Oh. _Oh. (You’re not alone.)_

 “Or! Or what if the evil student that killed the Forest leader decides to go after one of the nine kids that stopped his plan? Maybe he has four minions that he sends to kidnap the boy he _thought_ led the mission. The girl and the others would have to go after them and rescue their friend, of course! They _just_ manage to scrape a victory and free their friend from their spirit-cursed foes, only for a fifth minion, stronger than the first four together. to show up. Luckily, that’s also when the sand sibling from before show up, and they can thwart the man who had caused them all so much pain. Together! Maybe they’re not strong enough to defeat him yet, but they could work towards that. In the next installments, you could do-”

 “Slow down, Your Highness! He gets the idea! I think you might be overwhelming him,” The princess’ guard chuckles. ( _He gets it, and the farce holds. Don’t give away more than you have to.)_

“These are all wonderful ideas, Your Majesty,” Guózhi assures her. ( _Message received. Mission accepted.)_ “I would be happy to do an entire series like that. If you wish it.”

“I do wish it.”

“Then I look forward to this endeavor. Thank your for your patronage, Princess Caiyun. I will have the next story ready, for your eyes, at least, by next week.”

“Excellent. You’re dismissed. See him out, Rong-Wei?”

Kankuro follows the Imperial guard subtly curling his hands out of the audience chamber. That is unmistakably the Sand _butterfly_ hand sign Temari taught Chouji for identification purposes all those years ago, back when Team Ten started acting as their back up with increasing frequency.

_You are a sly one, Sparky._

XxXxX

“You’re leaving the playwright alive?”

“Princess Caiyun wants him back for a performance next week.

“You’re leaving him alive and _allowing him back_?”

“She would notice his absence and be very upset. You know how she cries. It upsets the king.”

“Then lie. Find her another playwright to entertain her. Someone putting less dangerous ideas into her head.”

“His story _does_ check out – he’s told this story before to his younger cousins. When he was even younger, back before he even entered the university. I don’t think it was meant to be propaganda.”

“Spirit weapons and invasions and _war_.”

“If it helps, all that went right over her head.”

“Oh?”

“She has a… very active imagination, certainly, but she was more excited by the format of shadow puppets and the idea that a girl could bring peace and alliance through _kindness_ than anything else. She’s quite taken with the whole idea.”

“Hmm. That’s actually promising. Very well. Make sure he knows there’s a watch on him, and a keep visible Dai Li guard whenever he performs, but I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to allow him to return, if that’s what Her Highness wishes.”

“Yes sir, Long Feng.”

“Dismissed.”

XxXxX

Years later, when Caiyun’s position is not secure enough to speak up about the identities of the three Fire Nation spies dressed as Kyoshi Warriors, she harms the interlopers in the only way she can; she invites them to a tea party. Shikako has _so_ much fun pretending to be a sheltered, demure, idiot who only wants to talk of empty, pretty things as she serves too-sweet tea with too-small cakes, has her maids bedeck her guests’ hair with flowers and ribbons, and makes them sit through Kankuro’s elaborately cheesy (porn-free) renditions of all eighteen _Icha Icha_ books, as hastily transcribed by Kakashi the night before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The meta of this is that now, with this scenario, someone from the Avatar world could be reborn into the DoS verse, and realize that they’ve been born into the world of their favorite play series! Certainly, with their own foreknowledge, there’s so much they could do to help… (SI-ception!)


	5. Shikako Rumors

**Original AN: Okay, I swear this is my last ficlet for this, then I’ll let this crossover die and get back to working on “5 Times Shikako got re-reborn into the Naruto verse.” I just couldn’t get people finding out what a BAMF Shikako is out of my head. Slightly inspired by the ‘Shikako would become a meme’ posts earlier on in one of the forums.**

**Because who doesn’t like to hear people compliment Shikako for 2,700 words?**

XxXxX

Agent Yu drew the short straw this evening, so he has the patrol route that weaves him through and around most of the ‘reincarnates’ in their little underground camp. He’s not sure if this is a good assignment or a bad one.

Because, yes, they were all non-benders, and yes, most of them should have been untrained in any sort of martial combat. They should have been the group to be least worried about. But. There was just something a little… off, about the mixed-race group that moved a little too quietly and stayed a little too alert. And when the Dai Li find you a little creepy, that’s… well. Agent Bon was especially insistent that these strange people be carefully watched. After all, Princess Caiyun has a bad tendency to accept these people close to her off hand, with little regard to her own personal safety.

Of course, that’s another reason to watch closely. These people called Her Majesty Shikabane-hime, or – according to Shirong’s translation of the Fire Nation High Court – _The Corpse Princess._ Given the recent revelations about their Lady’s true temperament and background, it only seemed prudent to perform some reconnaissance. They need to know how best to work with their newly empowered monarch. (Or, in the unthinkable case, against her, to protect their King and country.)

It because of this portion of the assignment that Yu allows himself to listen in when he ghosts past a group of three having a quiet conversation.

“So the Earth Princess is actually Nara Shikako?” A Fire Nation woman with a stick of Dango asks. “No shit. I knew we had some hidden leaves pretty high, but I had no idea we had someone all the way at the top! No wonder Gaara’s network has had such a far reach!”

“Right? I knew Hinata was a Lady – and I heard Iruka’s a Colonel at the Academy – but those two make sense, given their backgrounds. What’d Shikako do to get a cushy life? I wanna be reborn rich!”

“Nah, Kotetsu,” A man with a throwing needle (senbon, he had heard them call it earlier) in his mouth disagrees, as the woman shakes her head. “Give me a poor family that lets me fight over a rich one that cocoons you in silk sand manners any day. Honestly, I’m surprised Shikako didn’t go crazy from it all.”

The woman nods, sagely. “Amen to that, Genma. Eighteen years dealing directly with Long Feng? Yeesh. It must have been like Danzou all over again.” Here, the three shudder, and Yu can’t help his curiosity any longer.

“Who’s Danzou?” He asks, appearing at their side, as Dai Li are wont to do. None of them flinch. If anything, they look eager to gossip about their past lives.

“Right nasty bastard,” the woman (Anko, Yu realizes he had heard her being called earlier) offers easily, as if Yu had always been part of the conversation. “He was the best friend of the Third Hokage – our leader,” she clarifies at Yu’s face, “and an esteemed elder… Right up until Nara Shikako pulled his clandestine organization into the open, kicking and screaming.”

Genma snorts, “Turned out he had this whole little brainwashed organization – like a combination of the old Joo Dee program and the Dai Li – that was loyal to him instead of the village. He ran clandestine missions, kidnapped or assassinated citizens that were in his way, and manipulated village leaders to maintain his political support. It was his attempted coup – well, the second one; Tsunade got the hat after he enabled an invasion and got the Third killed – that finally gave Shikako and her friends enough evidence to confront him, and ensure they weren’t tried for treason themselves after the battle.”

“But Princess Caiyun took over the Joo Dee program years ago… just how long has she been planning to bring Long Feng down?”

Kotetsu shrugs. “I don’t even know how long she was planning on taking out Danzou… but probably years.”

“If it helps,” Anko throws in cheerily, “whatever she was planning, it probably wasn’t this. Long Feng got off lucky!”

“Lucky?” Agent Yu protests “He’s dead, Ba Sing Se has fallen, and we’re all hiding underground!”

Anko waves the suddenly new stick of dango. “You’re Dai Li. You should know there’s things worse than death, right Genma?”

“Definitely.” He shudders. “And don’t forget, Ba Sing Se’s walls have fallen too. The Earth King is hiding down here with us. Loads people have escaped to fight another day. Azula’s perfect victory has gone up in flames, and I bet Shikako’s not even close to done yet.”

“Exactly.” Anko nods. “Little Shikako _knows_ coups. If she’s here, it’s because she wants to be.”

“What does _that_ mean?”

“I heard,” Anko drawls, “the Hokage made a policy that Nara Shikako couldn’t go on anymore escort missions, because she always ended up dealing with political upheaval.”

Kotestsu sits up eagerly. “Oh! That’s true. Trust me, I worked missions desk for the three months after her first chunin exam. The Land of Fire mapmaker’s guild actually lobbied the council, because every time Nara ‘Kingmaker’ Shikako left the country, they had to redraw all their maps. Again.”

“I heard she stopped or was involved with six regime changes within her first year after graduating the academy.”

“Let’s see…” The quieter one, Genma, ticks off his fingers. “She stopped coups or installed new leaders in the Land of Waves, Land of Snow, Land of Waterfalls, Land of Tea, Land of Birds, and Land of Moons. Yup, that’s six, all before she turned Fourteen.”

Certainly they’re pulling his leg, Yu thinks. But no, the group before him bears the feral grins of people sharing especially juicy gossip, not the cunning smiles of people who were making all this up. He would know.  Yu’s head spins trying to reconcile sweet little Princess Caiyun with the girl they’re describing. If anything,  It felt like they were describing Azula.

“That’s not even counting changing the balance of power in the Grass civil war, or what ever the heck she did on that S-ranked mission in the Land of Wind that grew a forest and changed their whole economy, or how she ‘accidently’ orchestrated an Alliance between Sand, Mist and Leaf as a genin. Lighting and Earth were _pissed._ ”

Anko snorts. “If you’re counting those, you have to count Sand too – everyone knows she supported Lord Gaara’s ascension to the Kazekage seat. I heard she threw her fight against him in the Grass chunin exams, just to make sure he didn’t get taken out of the running.”

“No way! She couldn’t have beat Gaara. He’s a Jinchuuriki!” Kotetsu protests.

“And _she’s_ a seal mistress,” Anko counters. “I’m just saying, she’s one of only three people to have ever gotten past Lord Gaara’s ultimate defense, and she did it in _three different ways_ in that fight alone. If she had wanted to win that fight, she could have.”

Kotestu whistles. “Damn. I didn’t even know that.”

“You guys are talking about the Chunin exams that got her into Grass, Cloud and Rock’s Bingo Books, right? When she got promoted to Special Jounin so fast that their books were outdated before they were even done being printed?” Genma throws in.

“Yeah, that’s the one.”

“I’m sorry. Special what? Bingo books? I don’t understand.” The three were tossing opinions and gossip back and forth like old friends with an inside joke Yu isn’t a part of.

“Don’t worry about it. Basically, Shikako got fast tracked through our military ranks.”

“And it’s saying something when you’re fast tracked relative to the rest of ‘Lucky’ Team ‘Oh shit!’ Seven.”

 “She sounds terrifying,” Yu admits, feeling more and more out of his depth. Would the revelations never cease? It feels like his world view has been doing nothing but spinning for the past week. “Princess Caiyun is nothing like that.”

The three laugh heartily in the face of his desperation.

“Are these three telling you lies?” A voice rings out from behind him. A young girl, maybe eleven or twelve, walks up to join their little gossip circle. By her clothes, Yu would guess he’s one of the Princess’ Guide trainees.

“No lies!” The others protest. “Would we do that, Chiyako?”

“Half-truths, then. I heard some of what you guys were saying.” Chiyako turns to give him a reassuring smile. Knowing what might be hiding behind that smile, it doesn’t make him feel better. “Don’t let these reprobates make you think Shikako was all violence and manipulations. She was one of the kindest, most selfless people I’ve ever met.”

At least that’s something recognizable in Princess Caiyun. Chiyako’s face is more open now. Yu finds it to be trustworthier than her smile. He eagerly listens as the young girl espouses on a woman that was clearly her idol.

“Shikako was my Sensei – my teacher – so I know all about the less ‘famous’ side of her. Shikako was the kind of person that brought out the best in the people around her, both intentionally and unintentionally. She always worked to help her comrades get stronger and to support them in any way she could. She shared her techniques freely with her friends, which just _wasn’t done_ back then _._ She forgave her enemies and even made them her friends. She stepped in front of attacks meant for her loved ones. Over, and over and over again.”

The girl’s eyes go misty. “She was the kind of person who stopped to help a random academy student because the little girl was crying. She helped me find my pet, and healed him, and carried me home. She invited me to the kunoichi club to bring out my potential, and to help me make friends, and to raise my status in a class of people who bullied me. I wasn’t the only one, of course. She took care of both my teammates too, and her own teammates, and pretty much anyone she ran into that needed her help. I’ll just… never forget how much she changed my life, and without ever asking for anything in return. She could have. I would have given her _anything_ – but she never did. Also… she was powerful enough to earn a ‘flee on sight’ order on her bingo book page before she turned sixteen. But I digress.”

“Well why don’t you just marry her if you love her so much, eh?” Genma teases.

“Like you don’t go on and on about _your_ genin Sensei, Genma-san,” She snips back.

“…” Anko laughs again at the man’s put-out expression.

The four continue to argue and banter, but Yu drowns it out for the moment. It wasn’t all a lie. Princess Caiyun’s mask hid only her strength, not a disregard for her people. Princess Caiyun is not like Azula. She was never like Azula, even in a society that would have praised her for it. Shikako was kind and caring and people loved her for it. Princess Caiyun’s kindness and caring and love is _real._ It’s the best news Yu’s had all day.

It’s too good a moment to last, though. The topic of what Princess Caiyun and the others are planning comes back up briefly.

“Sometimes, it’s best not to wonder. She’ll tell us if she needs us. The real question is,” Genma turns to him, face serious, “what was Long Feng’s plan?”

“To use the Fire Princess to usurp the Earth King and get out of prison.” Yu answers automatically, feeling the need to return the favor for all the information he’s just received.

“No, no. I mean, long-term. King Kuei’s out because he turned against Long Feng. But the royal family maintains the spiritual balance of the Earth Kingdom, right? That means he still needed Princess Caiyun. The question is, how? Imprison her? Sell her off? Or… marry her himself?”

Yu’s stomach curls tightly. None of those options were great for Her Highness. But… It’s clear which one of those would have been the most beneficial for Long Feng himself. Would their leader have really stooped so far? The thought of Long Feng doing that to kind Princess Caiyun, a woman one-third his age, no matter her exploits in a past life, makes Yu sick.

“I… I don’t know. I don’t want to know.” The three give him a knowing look. Yu appreciates their sympathy.

“Fine, let’s speculate on something else then,” Anko looks briefly contrite, though her grin goes lethal again with her next question. “What was _Azula’s_ long term plan? Way I here it, she didn’t go after the Princess with lethal force until _after_ Shikako had already entered the fight. And, I’m just saying,” she holds up her hands, “the Fire Lord is now five years without a wife, and a marriage alliance would force an end to official military resistance in the Earth Kingdom.”

“The Dai Li would never have allowed such a dishonor to befall Her Majesty!”

“Did you think the Dai Li would have –for the most part – gone along with a coup?”

“…You guys all said Princess Caiyun is this amazing fighter. Surely she would have stopped-”

Anko cuts him off. “In Konoha, Nara Shikako was a powerful, respected kunoichi with the political backing of eight clans, three kage, and half a dozen Lords. What was she here?  Cloistered and watched, with only half-remembered training and improvised weapons should she choose to use physical force? As Politically powerless as any noble Earth lady, reliant on gifts from her puppet-king brother and concessions from a man that’d sooner sell her than listen to her? Sure, she’s put together an impressive network of allies through her charities, but what could they have done for her, in that situation? Nothing that she would have been willing to ask. Not with all her people and loved ones at stake.”

Chiyoko shakes her head viciously at that. “She wouldn’t have asked for their help. She would have done all her position allowed to shield her people, if it came down to that.”

Yu stares at these people who assert so vehemently that their princess would rather be presented to the Fire Lord, a rabbit-lamb for the slaughter, than ask people to risk themselves helping her.

Chiyoko stares right back, and reasserts, “The motto of Team Seven is: _Those who abandon their mission are scum. Those who abandon their comrades are worse than scum._ She would have done whatever she thought would best protect her people. To protect you. _”_

Yu finds he can’t help but believe her. He marvels. _We had no idea._

To the Dai Li, Princess Caiyun had always been something like a beloved, if honored, pet. They did their duty and protected her because it was necessary for Ba Sing Se’s spiritual balance. They could have even admitted they liked her as a person – she was so very kind to them, after all. But no one felt any qualms with how Long Feng controlled her life.

 _She did what she could for us, and would have done so much more, if she had had to. She was bound to us, loyal to us, and we never even_ saw _her._

“Hey now. Don’t feel bad.” Anko smiles at him, eyes narrow. “I’m sure anyone could have so thoroughly failed and betrayed the person who cared about them most.”

_No. We didn’t. We’re still here._

“Anko!”

 _We can still fix this. Their Majesties have plans._ Princess Caiyun _has a plan. And we’ll do everything we can to help._

“Hey! I know better than anyone that sometimes you just have to have people throw the bad things in your face. Makes you defensive, doesn’t it? I bet you’re already feeling hopeful instead of sad.”

“I am, actually. I… I need to go talk to the other Dai Li…”

“That’s the spirit! Come back any time! I’m sure we all have lots of interesting stories to share!” Yu waves goodbye halfheartedly, mind already on other things. “I want some good Princess Shikako shenanigans as blackmail!”

“Anko!”


	6. Zuko+Kazuo Reunion, Zuko PoV of Caiyun

**Original AN:** Relevant Embers plot differences from ATLA : Zuko is working as a ‘waterbending’ healer under Master Amaya instead of in the tea shop with Iroh. He’s been summoned to the palace before to heal Bosco, and Agent Shirong is trying to recruit him into the Dai Li for his ‘spy’ instincts and spiritual strength, since the Dai Li fight malicious spirits.

XxXxX

Zuko is helping Master Amaya close up the clinic for the afternoon when Agent Shirong drops down from the roof. Zuko instantly notices that Dai Li agent’s aura of frantic urgency. Zuko snaps into battle mode.

“What’s going on? Is there…” _a spirit attack?_ Zuko finishes with his eyes, knowing better than to say such things aloud on the street.

“No,” Shirong assures him, “We have a patient in the palace. Human, this time.”

Amaya has finished seeing off the last patient and comes over when she sees Shirong. She frowns at his words. “Come in, while I gather my things.”

Inside, Shirong can speak freely, without fear of creating the mass panic the Dai Li’s work is meant to suppress. “Her highness collapsed during the King’s audience with some visiting… dignitaries... She was waking up as I was dispatched to get you, but the King still insisted that you attend to her.”

Zuko snorts at these Earth royals’ frailty.  Someone fainting is hardly any more of a medical emergency than all the time’s he’s been called in to treat Bosco. Shirong’s mouth hardens into a thin line.

Amaya speaks, “It’s not a laughing matter, Lee. Princess Caiyun was nearly killed in a spirit attack as an infant, and has had a weak constitution since. Having us follow up isn’t an unreasonable precaution.”

Zuko dips his head, properly chastised, and helps her finish gathering their supplies.

As they set off, Amaya drops back so they’re both trailing Shirong by a few paces. “Princess Caiyun is responsible for many of the charities that make living in the Outer Ring more bearable,” she whispers, “She funds orphanages, work programs, theatres, and medical clinics – including ours. She’s very well loved by both the people and the protectors of Ba Sing Se. It’s in everybody’s best interests to ensure her health.”

 _Take this seriously;_ Zuko interprets, resolving to tread carefully in the face of even more Dai Li scrutiny than usual.

In the palace, they are dragged into a wing Zuko has never been allowed near before. In an ornately decorated set of rooms, a pale young woman in an elegant gown that _must_ be the princess lays spread out upon a cushioned couch. She is less ornamented than many of the noble Earth Kingdom ladies Zuko has caught a glimpse of, but the style suits her. The obvious displeased look on her face suits her less so.

Another Lady, also dressed with a simple elegance Zuko had though was less popular in this court, kneels demurely near the Princess’ head pouring tea. Behind them both stands the largest Earth Kingdom guard Zuko’s ever seen, menacingly glaring at any that might threaten the two women in his care. And around the room… a least three pairs of Dai Li agents beyond Shirong watch them all with careful eyes.

Zuko takes in all of this in the few moments it takes him and Amaya to bow and be introduced.

“Healers Amaya and Lee have arrived, Your Highness.”

“Oh, no. You’ve dragged both healers here for such a silly thing. They have patients that need them, and, as I told my Honorable Older Brother so he could return to his duties, I’m _fine._ ”

Amaya steps forward to address their patient directly. “I’m sure you’re correct, Your Highness,” Amaya accedes kindly, “It doesn’t hurt to make sure, though, and will put many concerned people’s minds at ease. Besides, we had already closed the clinic for the day, so this was an excellent chance for me to introduce my apprentice, Lee.”

Princess Caiyun perks up a little in interest. “The one who’s been taking care of Bosco recently? My brother spoke very highly of him.”

“Indeed he is. Lee?” Zuko steps forward and gives the Princess another, smaller bow, like a proper healer’s apprentice should.

“It’s nice to meet you, apprentice Lee-” Zuko comes up out of the bow and the princess’ kind eyes flash with _something_ as she does a double take at his appearance.

If this was the first, or even the hundredth time someone had seen the scar and not _him,_ Zuko might have been hurt. As it is, he shouldn’t have been surprised that such a wound would shock the Princess. Not if she’s even half as sheltered as her brother. After all, _there is no war in Ba Sing Se._

“Please, tell me what I need to do for you to ‘make sure’ I’m not ill, Healer Amaya,” Caiyun says graciously, ignoring her own verbal stumble.

Amaya directs Princess Caiyun to fully sit up for a visual inspection while Zuko sets up his little fire pot, as well as the other healing and diagnostic supplies they had brought with them.

“Agent Bon?” Caiyun asks as they work, “Will you make sure the Kyoshi Warriors that arrived today are enjoying the ambassador’s suites? And that they’re kept away from here? I’m already embarrassed to have fainted in front of the first female warriors I’ve ever met. I couldn’t bear it if they were to see me bedridden like this.”

“Of course, Your Highness. It will be done.”

 _Keeping the ‘dignitaries’ from seeing the scruffy refugee,_ Zuko thinks, only a little bitterly. He had wanted to think better of the girl, given Amaya’s high regard for her, but it seems she’s just like every other petty noble he’s ever met. Honestly, he shouldn’t be surprised. Between his mother, Azula and Yue, when has he ever had any luck with princesses?

Once they set up, Amaya streams water and goes through a quick diagnostic. She first checks Princess Caiyun’s head, then has her sit up and turn around, so she can feel out the heart and lungs for any obvious problems. Amaya fires off questions about Caiyun’s diet, rest and activity levels as she goes.

“I think you were correct, Princess. You seem to be just fine. I’m not sure why you collapsed, though. Perhaps this summer heat was too much? Either way, it’s probably best to rest for today.”

Princess Caiyun looks disappointed at the waterbender’s prescription, but doesn’t protest. Amaya freezes a triangle of ice to lay on the Princess’ brow, much to the Lady and the guard’s inexplicable amusement and the princess’ discomfiture.

“Lee, will you get the smelling herbs? We should probably leave some, just in case this happens again tonight.”

Zuko nods and hurries over to where they’d left their medicinal supplies in the corner of the room. He’s just measuring out what they’ll need when the door slams open.

“I came as soon as I heard! Are you okay?”

The voice is familiar, though deeper than Zuko remembers. Zuko’s head snaps up in time to see a young boy dash in to the room, completely disregarding any form of propriety.

“I’m just fine!” Caiyun pulls the anxious boy into a hug, dislodging Amaya’s ice and undoing her hard work. Amaya clucks her tongue at the scene, but she seems more amused than actually irritated.  The Lady and guard are likewise unperturbed by this complete breach of decorum. Even some of the Dai Li agents almost seem bemused – at least, the ones who don’t look mistrustful of the boy.

The boy pulls back from the embrace, looking skeptically at Caiyun’s claims of health, and Zuko finally gets a good look at him.

“Really. Everyone can stop making this such... a big… ordeal.” Princess Caiyun trails off as Zuko and the boy catch each other’s eyes, but Zuko’s hardly paying attention.

_Kazuo._

_Kazuo is_ here.

Zuko wants to run to hug his younger brother. The small, nonbending boy he had left to Ozai and Azula’s mercies. The youngest sibling he had sworn, to himself and his mother, he would take care of. The brother who has every right to reject that relationship, if Kazuo can’t find it in his heart to forgive him.

“ _Yun_ , have you had a chance to meet Amaya’s apprentice _Lee_ yet?” Caiyun offers carefully to break the silence.

“…Yes …Lee’s my big brother.” Then, the decision is taken out of Zuko’s hands as Kazuo _launches_ towards him.

“You’re here _._ You’re really here! I thought you were _dead,”_ the boy wails into Zuko’s chest.

“I’m sorry.” _That I left you._ “I’m so sorry.” _That_ _I didn’t earn my way back_ ”I didn’t know.” _That you had run away._

“It’s fine,” Kazuo – _Yun,_ the little voice that is Lee whispers in the back of his head, mindful of their many watchers – sniffles, “It was never your fault. You’re here _now.”_

Zuko is allowed to cling to his brother in peace for a few minutes before Master Amaya politely clears her throat.

“I’m so sorry. I didn’t know that you two were related. I could have reunited you from the beginning. Yun comes to me about once a month to trade medical advice.”

“Medical advice?

“Yes! I’ve been going to university to be a doctor!”

“How…?” _Tell me enough that we can maintain this ruse. Please._

“After the fire, I was able to find Uncle Jianjun. I came here with him and cousin Meifeng. _Their_ cousin Guozi lives here. He’s a famous playwright, so he helped us move to the middle ring, and got me into some classes! How did _you_ get here? I thought you died in the fire!”

Kazuo’s smile is bright and innocent, but his eyes are all too aware of the watching Dai Li.

_Right. Fill out the family tree. Get on the same page. It doesn’t even matter if we’re clearly speaking in code, since the Dai Li know we can’t mention the war in front of the princess. So. We were separated after a fire. We found different parts of our scattered family. We ended up here, all with nice, normal, Earth Kingdom names._

“Uncle Mushi and I wandered for a long time avoiding the… unpleasantness, near some of the coast. That became difficult, so we came here. We had no idea we still had so much family left.”

“Yes, so much family…” Kazuo’s voice hitches and Princess Caiyun pulls him into another hug.

“Don’t cry, Yun.”

“I’m just, so happy to have you both _here._ ”

“I know, sweetheart. I know. Dry your tears. You know your cousin Meifeng will tease you if you don’t.”

Princess Caiyun is as compassionate towards Zuko’s brother as Azula is not. Meaning, completely. Zuko’s willing to take back every poor thought he’s had about the princess today, if she’s been taking care of Kazuo like this for so much of the time he couldn't.

“She better not,” Kazuo pouts, “Not after the scene she made when we finally found Guozi.”

“Didn’t you tell me your cousin punched my favorite playwright in the face?”

“ _Exactly.”_

Zuko decides it’s okay to laugh, since even the Princess is giggling sweetly from behind the golden fan that had suddenly appeared in her fist.

After that, Princess Caiyun has more tea and a Pai Sho board brought out (Oh, Uncle would _love_ this. Good thing Princess Caiyun has invited them all back next week) since ‘Yun’ refuses to leave her side and ‘Lee’ understandably refuses to leave Yun. Amaya excuses herself to go share the good news with Mushi, and Caiyun dismisses most of the extra Dai Li agents.

(“Healer Amaya has pronounced me healthy enough if I remain resting, there’s no need for the extra attention when I’m sure these men have regular duties to attend to. Besides, having this many people around is beginning to tire me. I have Rong-Wei and Lady Jin-Hua, not to mention a healer and a doctor in training to attend to my needs. If you really must, leave Agents Shen and Ling.”)

With the Princess’ declarations, they’re left in peace to eat, play Pai Sho (well, watch Princess Caiyun get destroyed by Kazuo in Pai Sho) and catch up. It’s… nice. Zuko is completely out of his depth with how to deal with a sister figure that’s not trying to kill him, but Caiyun graciously ignores his many social blunders. Besides, their getting along makes Kazuo happy. Zuko owes his little brother at least a few hours of that.

If only their family life could have been more like this growing up.

Given how well everything had turned out, considering, Zuko really should have known something would go wrong. But honestly, how could he have guessed Azula was already in the palace, laying the foundations for her coup?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case anyone’s wondering, since I’m not sure I’ll write a follow up/different POV to this, Shikako purposefully ‘collapsed’ when she realized the Kyoshi Warriors were actually imposters. She recognized Azula and Co. from Shikamaru’s descriptions. She figured faking an illness was the best way to get Shikamaru called to the palace earlier than their usual weekly meeting, and would ensure she would have a chance to pass on a warning about Azula in private, before they might accidentally meet. Seeing Zuko, who’s far more recognizable than Shika, made her that much more desperate to keep Azula away from her suite.


	7. AU 1: Long Feng Wins

**Original AN:** So, Dona studied really hard today, but I haven’t quite finished the part of this that more addresses her prompt. I thought I’d post the first of the two snippets now, though, for more instant gratification/reward purposes.

Think of this _sort of_ like an extension of Dona’s snippet on page 65 where Princess Caiyun runs in to the Dai Li as she’s escaping, except she decides being captured will do the most good for her people/she wasn’t as obviously trying to escape. Then add in the scenarios speculated on in my “Let’s Talk About How Awesome Shikako is” ficlet on page 69.

XxXxX

  1. When Long Feng Betrays Azula First



“Long Feng, what is going on? Why have your agents forced me to come here? Where is my Honored Brother?”

Princess Caiyun is graceful even flanked by two Dai Li agents. It almost looks as if she is leading them here, rather than the other way around. Long Feng might feel a small curl of pride at how well he has trained her, if he wasn’t feeling such an overwhelming sense of smug satisfaction.

“My apologies, Princess. I simply had no other way to ensure your safety. These are dangerous time.”

She gasps softly. It is _so_ like the sound her ignorant brother might have made, if more delicate.  “Danger? Here? In the Palace? In the middle of Ba Sing Se?”

“I’m afraid so, My Lady. I am so sorry to have to be the one to inform you of this. The Fire Nation Princess duped her way into the Palace. By choice or by deception, I do not know, but Kuei treated with her against my advice, and was betrayed. Myself and the other Dai Li agents were able to return the favor, but not before your brother was… removed… from his throne.”

One of the Dai Li flanking Caiyun – Agent Chen – is forced to catch her as she sinks softly to her knees. A fan appears in her hand. It flutters gently in front of her mouth, as any good Lady would do to shield her emotions from a cruel world. Long Feng twitches his head, and the agent moves back to his position. Caiyun looks up at Long Feng from her seat with glistening eyes.

“If that… is the case... what does this mean for our people? What of our Kingdom?”

“We _must_ have a King to maintain the spirits, Your Majesty,” Long Feng purrs, moving the last of his pieces perfectly in to place. “A _King,_ not a Queen _._ ”

Caiyun’s fan flutters almost imperceptibly faster. Long Feng can see those quick thoughts he’s groomed so hard to be loyal turning in her head. “Then, I am not eligible, and my honored brother and I have no heirs. I would have to marry – but I’m certainly not familiar enough with any of the High Lords to ensure their loyalty under these circumstances, much less their competence as Regent until an heir could be born and raised-”

“There are none, Princess,” Long Feng interrupts.

“Then we are at an impasse, unless we have the means to change the laws and allow my own ascension under these circumstances.” Long Feng might think Caiyun was frowning behind the fan, if he didn’t know he had trained her better than that.

 “We do not, My Lady. There may be another way, though…” Long Feng drudges up a hesitant smile from somewhere deep inside himself. He’s so close he can taste it; best not to rush when he’s right at the finish line. “There is one man who you are assured is loyal. Who has proven he can capably handle the Regency.”

“Long Feng, are you suggesting-“

 “It is the _only way_ , Princess.” He steps forward to stand in front of her, and kneels down almost to her level. “With the Fire Princess’ treachery and death, we are assured further retaliation from the Fire Nation is already planned. Ba Sing Se needs a leader immediately. You _must_ marry me.”

“I… I see.” The fan stills in front of her face and she closes her eyes. “The Fire Princess’ attack has put Ba Sing Se in danger. You say there is no other course of action that is swift enough to mount our defenses and organize an evacuation while still maintaining the spiritual connection through the throne. I understand. You have _raised me_ to understand these things. I know my duty. You truly believe our marriage is the best way for me to serve my people?”

 “Yes, Caiyun.” He says, bending down, almost to her level.

Princess Caiyun glances over to where the Dai Li stand. Some of them are shifting slightly; clearly uncomfortable with where this coup has led. Long Feng does not see the cool calculation in Princess Caiyun’s eyes. He never has.

The fan is folded up, and tucked back into an elegant silk sleeve.

“I would do anything for my people, of course. It is my duty and honor,” she says with a smile, reaching up as if to caress her betrothed’s face. Long Feng smirks, allowing the gesture. Even now, he thinks he’s taught her well.

Long Feng doesn’t have time to realize that her hands do _not_ lay gently on his cheeks. Instead, they quickly take a firm hold and _twist._

The Corpse Princess rises to her feet, killing intent blazing. The assembled Dai Li hit the ground in prostration almost before the body does.

“Is there anyone here that still wishes to follow a man who would gamble our kingdom, our people, and your very lives for a slight increase in his own personal standing? Someone who would _lie_ about something like that?”

No one so much as breathes too loudly.

“That’s what I thought. Now, get off the ground and stop wasting time. We have a city to put back together, and an invasion to plan. Agent Chen, make sure the rest of my Dai Li get the word. Send out my Guides to get a reading on the populous. If my honored brother yet lives, he must be found. And someone get this disgraceful body out of my sight!”


	8. AU 2: Azula Wins

**Original AN:** I hope everyone’s exams and such are going well! Here’s part 2, the one more directly related to Dona’s prompt.

Important _Embers_ concepts I use here:

Kyoshi’s Decree – Basically, Kyoshi was angry at a bunch of Fire Nation pirates and how no one would take responsibility for them. She decreed, with the power of the Avatar, the World Spirit, that all of the in-fighting Lords would be beholden to one higher Lord, the Fire Lord, which became a specific genetic line instead of the name of the lead Fire Sage. If people go against the World Spirit’s will, AKA break the decree, spirits have free reign to wreck them.

Loyalty – Fire Nation people are supernaturally Loyal. Like, breaking loyalty will kill them, especially if they’re a Fire Bender. Earth Kingdom people have something similar, but for breaking contracts and deals. Strong Firebenders’ inner flames can pull on weaker ones, and some people (usually Fire Nation people, but sometimes other ruthless fighters, like the Dai LI) have stronger flames than other that can be pulled on. This is the given explanation for the Dai Li’s sudden shift in loyalty in Canon.

XxXxX

Azula sits regally upon the Earth Throne when two Dai Li agents lead Princess Caiyun unsuspectingly into the audience hall. Azula feels a cruel pleasure at the display. How easily they betrayed their rulers. How completely she has them in her thrall.

“Lady Kyoshi Warrior? Why do you sit on my Honored Brother’s throne?”

“I’m _not_ a Kyoshi Warrior, you fool. I am Fire Princess Azula, and I sit upon this throne because it is _mine._ Long Feng is dead, your brother has fled the palace, and the Dai Li now take orders from me. This throne, and Ba Sing Se, are _mine_. Do you understand?”

“I… This means you are now responsible for my people?” Azula smirks at the girl’s uncertainty, until Caiyun continues, “You will take care of them?”

“I will do whatever I wish to them! They are now Fire Nation subjects now, and they will bend to my will!” Azula sneers. “As will you. Bow to me.”

If anyone was going to see the brief flashes of outrage and cunning, it should have been Azula. After all, Azula knows all about bending and twisting yourself all up in knots, until you can squeeze into the little box people expect you to fit in. Azula knows cold calculation and telling people what they want to hear so they’ll do what you want them to do. Azula knows subterfuge, and genius.

Azula sees only a harmless, simpering, fool of a girl.

So when Caiyun bows – at the waist, as to an equally ranked foreign dignitary, not the full prostration of submission – Azula internally sneers at how weak-willed and poorly educated her Earthen counterpart is, to not even know how to properly submit. She does not _see._

“Yes, Princess Azula,” Caiyun accedes demurely.

“Good. You understand.” To her Dai Li, Azula orders, “Confine her to her rooms, with a doubled Dai Li guard. The rebels will undoubtedly try to strike at Ba Sing Se’s beloved little mascot and blame us. We do not need that sort of unrest while the occupation forces settle in.”

A cadre of Dai Li agents bow and wordlessly follow her orders.

 _Do not let_ this _royal escape too._ Azula’s seemingly straightforward coup has been undermined enough already, what with the Earth King’s escape. Maintaining control of this backwards country’s foolish princess is the easiest way to defang the most obvious threats to Azula’s power. With Caiyun held hostage, Kuei and his allies cannot strike at her without going through his sister. The rabble, likewise, might think twice about resisting once they see their former leader cooperating.

“What are you going to do with her, Princess?” Agent Bon asks, after they have gone.

Azula feels some of the little flames under her thrall _flicker_ and knows this is a tipping point. She will lose those few Dai Li who have not completely decided on their loyalty if she answers this incorrectly. Interesting.

“Oh, I haven’t decided yet. We’ll have to see how our opponents act, and how sincere she is about doing what is best for her people.”

By the end of the week, angry spirits, rebel action, and her own _still alive_ older brother force Azula’s hand. There’s no way she can leave her most valuable prisoner in a palace _made of earth_ in the heart of Ba Sing Se. Besides, letting the populace actually _see_ how she treats their princess may bring them to heel.

“I’m going back to the Fire Nation. Coordinate with the Army to organize security. There will be a grand farewell procession for myself and my _honored guest_ before we head home.”

They ride through select portions of Ba Sing Se on golden, antique palanquins, from back before the war, when the Earth Royals actually left the palace. First comes Azula, in the grand King’s palanquin, then Caiyun, on the smaller Queen’s. Both are open, despite the security risks, to better cow the populace. Caiyun obediently stays quiet and does nothing to disrupt the procession, though her hand twist in a most unladylike fashion. Azula detests signs of nerves. She learned at a young age never to show her weaknesses, and can’t help but resent that her counterpart never had to learn the same.

Azula soon learns that Princess Caiyun is as disgustingly delicate as the rumors say. Two days into the voyage, and she’s bedridden with seasickness, and there’s no sign of that easing. The only option is to move her to the largest and therefore steadiest of the ships in the fleet, directly under the Fleet Admiral.

Grand Admiral Kazumi stayed to maintain the central fleets when Zhao made his foolhardy attack on the Northern Water Tribe six months ago, but she felt the blow of it almost as strongly as if she had been there to face down the Ocean spirit herself. She contributed nearly a third of her fleet to that invasion, including several of her closest friends and brightest upcoming officers. A woman nearly three decades married to her career, Kazumi’s only children are those who serve under her. She does not like seeing her family sacrificed so needlessly. Many of her surviving friends – most of whom are generals and admirals themselves, thanks to all the years they’ve served together – quietly agree.

Kazumi is Loyal to the Fire Nation, of course, but she is beginning to doubt whether the royal Fire Family deserves it. Meeting and dining with both the Earth and Fire Princesses does nothing to alleviate her growing fears.

When the stuttering marine called upon to try and serve royalty spills the tea, staining Princess Caiyun’s silk robes, he is met with an understanding smile and a request for a damp cloth. The next day, when a deckhand accidentally splashes Azula’s boots with mop water, she is given a seared hand, despite her apologies.

Azula does not seem to notice what Kazumi does. Her crewmembers are beginning to doubt. Kazumi hopes, for her people, that Fire Lord Ozai will make this gentle woman Fire Lady. Kazumi hopes, for this sweet young girl, that he executes her quickly.

They are welcomed into the Capital caldera with a grand procession to honor the Princess’ victory and welcome the… “visiting dignitary.” Caiyun smiles prettily as Li and Lo proclaim to the gathered crowds of her people’s weakness and claim the Earth Kingdom as Fire Nation Property.

Ozai does much the same when she is brought into his audience chamber. ~~~~

The girl’s hands twist nervously, but otherwise he likes what he sees. And perhaps, he thinks, a frightened wife would be an improvement on the last one. Ozai does not know that some eight people have understood Shikako’s hand signs, and are prepared to do what their Loyalty allows to support her, no matter how their stomachs curdle to leave her alone. Ozai declares that there will be a union between Earth and Fire, to mark the official end of the war.

Their wedding is scheduled for six weeks hence, at the height of summer, so that the nobles are required to renew their fealty oaths to the royal family before the eclipse. This also makes time to properly plan all the ceremonies required for such an extravagant affair, not to mention to actually gather all the Great Names to the capital. Caiyun makes the most of this time. (There’s a saying about giving a seals mistress time to prepare. It goes something like: Don’t.)

The maids assigned to Caiyun fall in love with her almost immediately. It is not so bad, they think, to begin developing loyalty to this woman who will soon be Fire Lady in name, if not power. Princess Caiyun allows them to gossip as they work, and even joins in, occasionally. She does not force silence upon them while she vents of her own problems, like so many other nobles. They are more than happy to tell her these things.

Princess Caiyun speaks kindly to the courtiers she comes across. They find that no vipers hide in her smile, no traps wait in her pleasant observations. They feel strangely warm and happy when she speaks, and a little shaken by her absence when they must part. Those that continue to dismiss her, because they fear Ozai and Azula so much more than they might be able to like her, find themselves _accidentally_ running into her alone. By the time they get away, they know exactly who the most frightening royal in the capital is.

When the generals begin to seek her out, in hopes that the vapid girl will accidentally drop some useful tactical information, they find themselves sitting down to tea, discussing the structure of the Home Guard and how there really isn’t a good system in place for veteran’s benefits.  Princess Caiyun is just _so_ genuinely concerned, they find their frustrations spilling from their mouths.

At Caiyun’s next audience with her betrothed, the topic comes up so naturally that Ozai believes it is his own will that she ‘earn her keep’ by taking care of the ‘social inanities’ he hasn’t the time for. The beginnings of medical clinics, orphanages, veteran and widow’s care, and more begin to take form.

The stupider nobles, the proud ones, the ones who are too busy encouraging war to really _look_ ; they see Princess Caiyun’s attempts at charity work as childish distractions. The brightest among such courtiers conclude that Ozai is keeping his young bride too busy to think to help her own people. The more cunning members of court watch Caiyun get what she wants from Ozai, once, twice, thrice, and take note. The most honorable nobles, and the officers who actually care for their people, they see their chance. They watch Caiyun’s actions, and they listen to her words, and they hope.

When she is not socializing with the many palace inhabitants, Princess Caiyun can be found sitting in the gardens under the Sakura trees, practicing what her observers assume must be calligraphy. She certainly makes the same deliberate movements with her brush as a master calligrapher, no matter that the swirling symbols she creates bear little resemblance to any written language they’ve ever seen. Her designs grow into a _massive_ scroll. (“It’s a decorative piece. I thought it would be appropriate for me to gift my honorable husband a wedding gift. Please don’t ruin the surprise!”)

The day of the wedding arrives, and the more astute palace residents are jumpy that things have gone so smoothly. Most people do not take their paranoia very seriously, though they should.

Caiyun emerges for her wedding procession a vision of resplendence. Certainly, the Fire Lord does not look at all like he regrets this particular bit of political maneuvering. She walks to her soon-to-be husband with poise, and performs her greetings and bows with the perfect manners of a properly raised Fire Lady. The wedding between Earth and Fire begins.

There is not an ounce of hesitance from Caiyun through any of it. She says her wedding vows, and later her coronation oaths in a sure voice, seemingly unconcerned that she has entered a contract that twice over asks her to protect the Fire Nation. No one questions how she might internally define those terms, which suits her just fine. She is spiritually important enough that breaking those vows will harm her, no matter that she is not a bender. A golden flame ornament is settled into her new topknot, where previously a jade crown had laid, and it is done.

“Before the meal concludes, Honored Husband,” Caiyun says quietly from where they sit for their wedding banquet, “I would like to present you with a small gift in celebration of our union, and the end of the war.”

Azula glances askance at the interruption to normal proceedings, but Ozai seems intrigued. “Very well.” Caiyun motions with her hands, and two of her maids bring out a large, ornate scroll. They lay it out across the grate where the Fire Lord’s flame curtain would normally burn, bow, and quickly retreat. “What is it?”

“My people call it _fuuinjutsu._ Isn’t it pretty?”

“I’ve seen many more beautiful things,” Ozai sneers. Flames leap from the grate; the flaring fire curtain should easily destroy the scroll and any initiative his new bride might have started to develop. He does not know that Caiyun had expected this. When flames lick the scroll, paper and ink do not curl and smoke but _glow._ “ _What is this?”_ Ozai hisses, wheeling on Caiyun as flames are wrenched from his control.

“Something called _checkmate,”_ she sneers, as Fire snaps out to engulf both of Caiyun’s royal table companions. The two undoubtedly scream, but it is impossible to hear over the roar of the two fire dragons that have just collided explosively with their victims.

Flames die unnaturally swiftly, and it’s all over as quickly as it had begun.

The assembled Lords and Ladies rise from their seats in fear and outrage, waiting for the chains of loyalty that shackled them to the throne to break so they can at least have the satisfaction of revenge before the world and its spirits descend upon their nation, destroying them all for breaking Kyoshi’s decree. Two Dai Li drop from the ceiling to stand protectively in front of her. Royal advisors Li and Lo, once known as Yoro and Shiku, tense defensively behind their old friend. It should not matter. There are enough Imperial Firebenders here to destroy them before their inner flames go out.

But the Great Name’s inner flames do not so much as flicker in absence of the Fire Lord Avatar Kyoshi herself decreed must hold their loyalty. Why has the chain of loyalty not broken? Ozai is dead. Azula is Dead. Iroh is a traitor. Zuko is exiled. Kazuo is missing. So why do they not falter? None remain of the royal family to balance the spirit of the Fire Nation…

…None except, technically, the newly crowned Fire Lady Caiyun.

Offensive stances reluctantly drop as all eyes simultaneous seek out the woman they had so recently sworn loyalty to. Caiyun had not so much as flinched when her husband and stepdaughter went up in explosive flames. Now, she makes a striking picture; the sole figuring remaining at the high royal table, wedding robes slightly singed and bloody, sitting regally as smoke wisps around her. She stares them all down, eyes piercing them through, stealing their thoughts and telling them, _that could have been your death. It still could be._

For four careful heartbeats, the entire hall is frozen in fear. Then. _Then._ Fire Lady Caiyun _smiles._ Her Will of Fire _burns._ Warmth rushes through the crowd. _I will protect those who are loyal to me. Let this be the fate of your enemies, not your people._ For the first time in any of their lives, they are given a taste of what loyalty _should_ be; reciprocal. _You serve me. I take care of you. With everything I have._

The silence breaks.

“We will support the Fire Lady’s ascension to Fire Lord,” Lady Kotone, of Byakko declares boldly.

“As will we,” sword master Piandao, Lord of Shu Jin, agrees. Five more Great Names quickly throw their support to Caiyun before there is a pause.

The remaining Great Names size each other up, trying to decide which way the smoke is blowing. Who would win a civil war? Can the Fire Nation withstand such a thing, with the whole world against them? Then, another voice speaks up.

“The Central Fleet is willing to follow Fire Lord Caiyun’s orders,” Grand Admiral Kazumi declares.

“The Home Guard will do the same,” Kazumi’s friend of many years, General Kazuki adds.

The balance tips; no other military regiment can be supplied without the central fleet’s cooperation, and no one wants the Home Guard to leave _their_ domain undefended. The remaining Great Names and high officers swear their loyalty to Caiyun. That leaves only one potential obstacle to a smooth transition of power.

The old, red-robed men scattered throughout the room look at each other with uncertainty in their eyes. The oldest among them, thinking of the warnings of his daughter, who was called Hanabi in another life, stands up to speak for them all.

“Agni has clearly spoken. The Fire Sages find Fire Lady’s Caiyun spiritually strong enough to fulfill the Fire Lord’s duties.”

Shikako smiles.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, yes, that fire dragon seal thing was an ass pull. Probably she would have just used poison or something. But let me have my self-indulgent dramatics, okay?
> 
> I have a lot of thought on how things would go after this (i.e. ending the war, reparations, dissolving Kyoshi’s decree, Mai and Tai Li’s reactions) but they’re less important, and I wanted to get this out so I could properly focus on all the final projects and papers I really, really need to stop putting off now.


	9. Mother's Justice: Kushina and Mikoto

**Original AN:** A brief interruption to the Star Wars thing to go back to the Embers/ATLA/Caiyun verse form last year. I’ve owed this to Book for months and months, and I only just got inspired the other day when I realized that if everyone was getting reborn, that could mean _everyone,_ even people who were dead at the time the bulk of DoS takes place…

 

Linqin – beautiful zither (like a harp). The kanji used for Mikoto could mean a lot of things, but one meaning is ‘beautiful harp’ so…

 

XxXxX

 

Uchiha Mikoto – Linqin, in this life – is reborn into a modest family of farmers in a relatively rural village in the Western part of the Earth Kingdom. Her new family is kind enough, if a little plain. They’re also a little too focused on the small bit of upward mobility available to them for Mikoto’s tastes.

 

She is not at all surprised the day her family announces she will be engaged to the widowed village headman, nor is she happy about it.

 

She had dedicated her previous life to her family, buried her dreams and desires and fire beneath placid smiles for her assigned husband, and where had that gotten her? She had lost her life and her friends and her very _children_ because of her quiet acquiescence to duty.

 

 _Never again_ , she had sworn to herself when she had opened her eyes after her son slit her throat. Never again would she stifle herself on account of propriety. Never again would she ever do anything less than her full capabilities allowed her when it came to protecting her loved ones.

 

Mikoto was once a jounin Kunoichi of Konoha. Submitting herself to marriage so her family could gain a few coins and some small standing was far, far less than her full capability.

 

So, that evening, she gathered her supplies, the money she had been secretly scoured away, and her family’s swiftest ostrich-horse, and she left. It was ridiculously easy, not just due to her skills, but because no one thought they would need to stop her. Her engagement was a _contract,_ and even as a non-bender, she was still _Earth Kingdom._

 

Too bad her family had _told_ her of the engagement, not asked – she had never agreed to that contract, and thus was not bound by it.

 

Mikoto intended to head for the frontlines of the Fire Nation’s invasion, training herself back into shape along the way. She figured that would be a place she could do a lot of good, even indirectly, for her people, or that it would at least be where she could better learn of this world’s troubles.

 

Barely halfway there, however, Mikoto’s Purpose threw itself into her path. Literally.

 

Mikoto gently prodded the man slumped on the ground in front of her with her tow. He elicited a small groan that confirmed he was still alive, though unlikely to be getting up any time soon, given the swelling above his eye. Then, she glanced up and into the window said man had just come flying through. The building – on the outskirts of the small town Mikoto was passing through – appeared to be a seedier sort of pub.

 

Inside, a dozen or so men crowded into the center of the small room. They jeered up at the woman who stood on a table in the center of them all, though none of them made any move towards her.

 

“Now if any of the rest of you cowards wants a piece of me,” the woman declared with a familiar lilt, “I’m happy to keep demonstrating why they call me the Bloody Habenero, ya know!”

 

Mikoto’s breath left her in such a rush she almost choked.

 

_Kushina!_

_Kushina, alive. Kushina, here!_

 

_I’m not alone. I won’t ever have to be alone again, because I’m not going to lose you, I’ll protect oyu this time, my dear friend, my dearest friend-_

“Oy, dumbass! I’ll take you up on that fight!”

 

Mikoto yelled over the crowd before she even realized what she was doing. The words are familiar enough that they simply tumbled out reflexively, as if all these years and tragedies hadn’t passed, and they were still just a couple of scrappy genin.

 

The woman at the bar – _Kushina!_ – froze. Only her eyes continued to move, slowly tracking up until her gaze is locked with Mikoto’s. There’s so much Mikoto wants to say, so much that needs to be expressed, but what words can possibly say it all?

 

Her eyes must have conveyed enough, given the way Kushina’s hopeful grin grew.  “Ya sure about that, Princess? I’d hate for you to break a nail going up against a _real_ fighter hand-to-hand.”

 

Mikoto took a step back from the window. This created room for Kushina, who leapt through it and on to the street. She settled into a ready stance across from Mikoto.

 

Mikoto held two fingers up – you can’t have a friendly reunion spar without the gesture of reconciliation, after all – and called back.

 

“All you need to worry about is who’s going to heal your ass after I kick it all the way to Kyoshi Island!”

 

XxXxX

 

Mikoto did not, in fact, manage to kick Kushina’s ass.

 

She can’t really bring herself to be embarrassed by her poor showing, though. She’s too thrilled to have her friend back, for one. She’s also only had a couple of weeks to really train since she left her family, and that’s not nearly enough to make up for years of neglect and a lack of chakra.

 

She was, at least, in good enough shape to haul Kushina up on her ostrich-horse and book it out of town when the mob came for them the next morning. Their fight last night may have gotten a _little_ enthusiastic. Certainly they didn’t really need all of those decorative, delicate lanterns in the main square? Nine out of twelve is _plenty._

 

Having a sparring partner also greatly accelerated Mikoto’s training, especially one who was something of a taijutsu specialist in her past life, as opposed to Mikoto’s genjutsu specialization.

 

Once her fighting skills are back up to a reasonable level, Mikoto and Kushina took an ambling path away from the rural backwoods of the Earth Kingdom heading for Mikoto’s original goal of the Invasion frontlines. Kushina was more than happy to jump into a real fight, and they figured it’s the most likely place to find any like-minded shinobi that might have also been reborn.

 

Once again, though, it seems like the Spirits had other plans.

 

In thanks for them chasing some ornery little kitsune spirits out of her store room, (“Stop laughing, ‘Koto! This is hardly me fault, ya know!”) the innkeeper offered them a free room for the night, as well as a meal.

 

Mikoto stayed after their dinner and made small talk with the bartender, slowly wringing information on the local situation out of her. Quickly bored, she wandered over to look at the new _Wanted_ posters in the corner.

 

“Yes, it’s been such a pain getting grain in from Taru village. The last three deliveries have been late, and the last one seems to have been skipped altogether-“

 

“Koto! Look at these!”

 

Kushina’s voice was so distressed, Mikoto crossed the room to her side in an instant. Kushina seemed physically fine, though she stared, stricken, at a couple of Illustrated posters depicting-

 

_Naruto Uzumaki_

_Shikako Nara_

_Sasuke Uchiha_

_…His hair got even worse without me there to make him comb it._

It was a stupid, stupid first thought to have upon seeing her son for the first time in years. Kushina must have rubbed off on her more than she realized.

 

Apparently, she’s also rubbed off on Kushina, because the next instant-

 

“He got to _big,”_ they murmured in unison.

 

Mikoto glanced at her awe-struck friend, and was surprised to see tears streaming down her cheeks.

 

“He looked just like me, but with Minato’s hair,” Kushina continued.

 

Oh. Of course.

 

The Sasuke illustrated here is at least twice as old as the little 7-year-old boy Mikoto had left behind, but at least she had gotten to watch her baby start growing up. Kushina had only been allowed a few minutes with her son, not even enough time to clean him up from the birth, much less to search for his parent’s features.

 

“Innkeeper?” Mikoto called across the room. Her voice was thick with emotion, forcing her to cough before she continued. “Thank you for the offer of a room for the night, but it seems we have pressing business to attend elsewhere.

 

 _Contact your local Earth Army office with any information you have on these dangerous insurgents,_ the posters said.

Additionally, next to the wanted posters was an advertisement for the Earth Army’s information network.

 

_STAND UP FOR YOUR KINGDOM_

_APPLY TODAY_

_Become part of the Konoha Information Agency in service to the Earth Royal Family._

The Hidden Leaves were trying to find each other – and at least one of them was highly ranked enough to get the Earth King to secretly fund that goal. At least one of them knew their sons well enough in their past life to create life-like portraits of them, years later. Someone like that would be the crux of their information network, and would therefore be the most likely to have information on their sons. They needed to get to Ba Sing Se and find these people. Now.

 

“Kushina, I’ll get our stuff, go saddle up.”

 

She had left her babies alone, and hurting, and without even each other to turn to. Did anybody help them, after she was gone? Did anyone step up and take care of them when she couldn’t? Would they forgive her for that, if she could even find them? Would either of them even want to see her?

 

Mikoto tore down the two posters – carefully, even hand-drawn, these are the only images they have of their sons – grabbed hers and Kushina’s things, and followed her numbly out the door.

 

The Bloody Habenero and the Deadly World Weaver had found what they needed to be looking for. Spirits help whoever it was that stood in their way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaand that’s all I’ve got. I really want them to run into Sai or Kakashi or someone before they find Shikako or Sasuke or Naruto, but I ran out of steam. Just, someone to tell them that their kids grew up to be amazing and they were best friends and yes, they were super close teammates with Shikaku’s little girl (who did manage to be a ninja, and an awesome one at that), and the Nara took care of them and just. Something so that when they finally run into Shikako and/or Shikaku and Yoshino, they just give them all the hugs for taking care of their babies
> 
> Some other ideas I had, as I’ve been trying to put something out in this verse for Book since, like, September:
> 
> 1\. Kuei’s POV of growing up with Caiyun. Even though they were mostly kept apart, Shikako helped him hold up the weight of the Earth Kingdom’s spiritual center from the time she was a baby and their parents were killed (he blames this for her weak constitution, and coddles her physically to help her keep her strength up, since consciously or not, she puts so much into helping him) so he feels spiritually connected to her in a way the Dai Li, and especially Long Feng, never really got. Just, something about Shikako’s spiritual strength, and complete no-selling of malicious spirits.
> 
> 2\. After the last few arcs, it’s official that Sasuke is a mother hen. You know he totally mother-henned Toph growing up (but in, like, a supportive, caring way, not a suppressive way like their parents did). This instinct carried over to taking care of the ‘kids’ on Team Avatar once he catches up with them. He and Katara get into a sub-conscious ‘mother-off’ of the group.
> 
> 3\. Aoba becomes a writer in this world. With the success of Kankuro’s plays, he becomes emboldened to write about his own past life as coded mystery novels. Caiyun gets ahold of them, particularly the last in the series where the protagonist dies, feeling like he failed his apprentice and his last investigation. Caiyun has to arrange a meeting to tell him that the ending is wrong, the protagonist should have survived if the apprentice had figured it out sooner. He’s initially very offended on Shikako’s behelf, trying to defend her without upsetting the Earth Princess and all her Dai Li watchers, only to eventually figure out that Caiyun is Shikako, and that she made it out of the Land of Hot Springs, and that she feels really guilty and is trying to apologize.


End file.
